The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1887-11-27
MYSTERIOUS MABEL HOW1RD.
The Strange story OF . Rich and PRETTY
Guest at n Fifth Avenue Mansion.

The Strange Story or q Rich and Pretty
Guest at n Fifth Avenue Mansion.
From the Washington Post
NEW YORK, Nov. 10.-Every little while
the records of the police nre emblazoncd
Mi.h si9 siri TT wGo h IS piek e pe ap IN tho ans Street. 'sioT Is
well dressed, and to all appearances, Of good
family, but will give no Understandable ae-
Such cases generally turn out to be victims
OF opium, or temporary, insanity, or possibly
Of their momentary crankism, are taken away
by their friends, or go away 10y themselves,
there being no law to hold them, as they do not
come under those Of the misdemeanor nor yet
the vagrant acts.
But a singular case has occurred lately
which puzzles everybody cognizant of 1t, in II
lordly Fifth avenue mansion not far above
Forty-sccond street.
About three months ago an exceedingly
and asked to SEQ its mistress. She was about
Is, very richly dressed, had diamonds on her
altogether evidenced hiSh breeding ana wealth.
She sent up her name II Howard ana was
s sheT hon laeo ' Who p IS the w Mnsn Of 'n a W M.I.igSS IN
banker, came down, the young lady, in II very
straightforward way. told the lady, whom we
shall call Smith. that her name was Mabel
Howard that her mother had been Il school
mate OF Mrs, Smiths. mentioning, the school.
and an especial chun, and had told herdau.h-
that If oyer she came to New York she must
seek out Mrs. Smith and call upon her.
All this on the part OF Miss Howard so far
was perfectly probable and coherent: but now
when questioned she did not know, what her
mothers maiden name had been. and. stranger
still, she could not toll the name Of the place She
came from, though she had only ,leit, it a few
months before; nor could she ten whore sh9
only arrived IN New York that day, and had or
dered her trunk to some w9il-known hotel
seemed sinS; ' 70 aistS sTS'% Siiiss III HoS q S Very @%sh +.
| thinking IL WAS only "A laI,,s OF memory npr-
haps, under the pressure of some trouble, and,
as lunch was announced. invited Miss Howard
to take or her bonnet and p%urtakc., The in
vitation was. accepted. and during lunch the
young lady charmed the elder one by her con-
She had been to Europe. and resided in Paris
with her father after her mothers death. She
could read and speak German; French: and
name. business, or where he was then: in fact,
was not certain whether he was alive or not.
During this conversation Mrs. smith could
not help noticing that Ier guest would occa-
s%ionally wander, not asthouEtl sho was invent
Ing insg to recall iios s a lctectivS emory. Ivy
Sonebody says that you can never tell q gen
tleman until you see him ut table. Mrs. smith
was certainly II hiTh-bred. woman, even ii she
had not been convinced of this before, After
Miss Howard. at tho request OF her hostess;
sat down to the piano and very soon showed
that she was an accomplished musician and
had a lovely contralt0 voice.
Then they talked further about Mrs. Smiths
school days, and the lady was thoroughly con-
WINGED that, no matter from whom she had re-
ceived the information, Miss Howard was
aware OF Mrs. Smiths carly life. though shc
could not recall the name Of tho school when it
was mentioned. nor yet the name of any OF those
who had been Mrs. Smiths early associates
there, and who might have been her mother.
made a movement to go, but her hostess in
sisted wPisb R Ma0j sJia ~ SSbo Tnti | h n,ioh hHsb Tnd
young lady cheerfully assentel. ana wien Mr.
Smith came in was introduced with u short OK
PLANTATION of her presence. Smith was charmed
At q glance, and almost forgot his dinner.
When, that was announced. why. OF course.
Miss Howard could not go away, and l,tor
dinner she should DO sent anywhere She de-
sired In the carriage. But alter dinner tho
young lady seemed 80 content that the evening
slipped away before any one knew it: .,,,
Sho played, She sang. she talked French with
Smith and Italian with his wife. and when told
that 1t was too late for her to so to n strange
after a. moments thought she nssenled, and
when the time arrived was accompanied 10 her
ported to her husband that Miss Howard's
Gd=In "@pSSa VASE was s Of 81 s.uRsrlatIyS An f,nen nnd And, her her
had handed her u pocketbook with her money In
astonished to lind that it contained thiriy-iive
. a' the iassti Ryt Of ff the 9 s yoan Or l @ay.A'TfG ;ia 70 n iSat
Mr.. and Mrs; Smith discussed what had better
Ssr dSnS at It w yas t faio they eyt would o1iI G not let e3h har den
par, next day, or after II they could prevent 1t,
until, they found out where She came from and
The next day MIR. and Mrs. Smith were more
charmed and interested In their guest than ever.
Smith stayed at home NIL day to see II in con.
yersation he could elicit anything that would
be q clue as to her IDENTITY 9r where she came
put to her she seemed panied, and answered
that she had forgotten. When offered her
money back she only laughed, and said she
post it in bank she carelessly assented, and
he has done so in her name.
Then they proposed that she should mako
her home with them, rather than go to II hotel.
and she accepted as though it was a matter of
family residing with her.
A this was three months ago. and Miss
Howard remains still with the Smiths. They
have tried every means within their power to
find out who she is without success, She has
that they both hope they will not lind out, and
they have long ceased to talk to her on the
subject. as they find II only troubles her and
eau sfSo wandering iIm Of the ell mpin nd, Which y eomes sn a
she, OF putting tho case, in the hands OF the
police. and especially do they dread reporters,
who. having got. somehow. an inSling OF the
story tory are anxious to , Get HHoro, but are re-,
has never been found, though every ~exertion
has been made, and there Is no doubt that she
had T. so that an entire new wardrobe has been
1t Is believed by Mr.. and Mrs. Smith that
Howard Is not her true name, but whenever she
Is approached on that subject she bursts into
u violent Hood OF tears and seems much dis
tressed. At all other times she Is exceptionally
happy and amicable.
So far the mystery Is just as much a mystery
as 1t was ON the first day OF her coming.
Fish and Fishing.
A German carp weighing more than ten pounds. was
caught In a mill dam, near Oringsbnrg, Pa